I want Wayne LaPierre’s head on a stick too...

So, it appears that the reactionaries are out in force to shut up needed public discourse over a tragic event. 

First please see Statement on Erik Loomis — Crooked Timber 

Emotions run hot in the blogosphere; but the NRA leveraging political power to take on a blogger is an absurd reminder of how conservatives work in this nation (see Cory Robin for more indepth look). 

In my own life, two law enforcement officers saved my life--in what feels like a lifetime ago-- in a suicide attempt with a firearm after I had gone through a long struggle with mental health issues.

I should have never been able to get my hands on a gun and people like Wayne LaPierre and his right wing ilk are responsible for the poor regulatory framework (and underfunded mental health systems) that allowed that to happen.

But it's time to have a discussion, a serious discussion, about gun violence and mental health and this underhanded tactic is meant to stop that discussion dead in its tracks.

Now while I opened the post with a childish spoof of Wayne LaPierre's head on a stick to help raise some awareness about the NRA  witchhunt of Erik Loomis let me end by telling you to go watch Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey talk about the need for change.

Like coach Kelsey, I too am not smart enough to figure out what it is we need to do.  

But I can tell you it is time to get serious about this crisis of gun violence and leveraging political power to shut up bloggers is exactly the kind of shit that has to stop---now.